r e 

.W57 




he Relation of New 
Hampshire Men to 



the Siege of Boston 



WILLIAM F. IV H ITCH ER 



I i 7 V 
% 

THE RELATION 



OF 

NEW HAMPSHIRE MEN 

TO THE 

SIEGE OF BOSTON 



DELIVERED BEFORE THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SOCIETY OF SONS OF THE 
AMERICAN REVOLUTION AT CONCORD, N. H., JULY 9, 1903 



WILLIAM F. WHITCHER 



CONCORD, N. H. 
RUMFORD PRINTING COMPANY 

1904 



THE RELATION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 
MEN TO THE SIEGE OF BOSTON, 



The siege of Boston began on the 19th or 20th of April, 1775, and 
ended some eleven months later on the 17th of March. 1776. In the 
history of sieges this must be regarded as one of the most remarkable 
of which we have record. An army of the regular and well disci- 
plined troops of one of the world's great powers was shut up in the 
little peninsula town of Boston, surrounded and held in check by what 
were at first several independent bodies of raw, undisciplined militia, 
scantily armed and equipped, recognizing no single military author- 
ity, and owning and professing allegiance to the same king whose 
troops they were holding in check, and who only became worthy the 
name of an army after months of waiting, after a battle had. been 
fought, and after they had been taken in hand for organization and 
discipline by one whose sublime patience, consummate tact, matchless 
wisdom, and military genius gave him a unique place among the 
world's commanders. 

When Percy, on the night of the 19th of April, returned from 
his ill-fated expedition to Concord, and bivouacked on Bunker 
hill with such of his troops as were not left dead or dying by the 
roadside, the Americans posted sentinels at Charlestown Neck, and 
by the night of the 20th, when the wounded and dying British 
soldiers had been carried from Charlestown into Boston, a consider- 
able army of Americans had assembled at Cambridge and Medford 
from the nearer sections of New England, and the avenues of egress 
from the town which was occupied by the British forces began to 
be guarded. After the 19th of April General Gage and his suc- 
cessors never again sent out an armed man by land from Boston. 
The town was in a state of siege. Civil government came to an end. 
The records of the selectmen end abruptly : " At a meeting of the 
selectmen this 19th of April, 1775, present Messrs. Newhall, Austin, 

Marshall, " And this is all. Nothing further appears on the 

records of the civil magistrates till March, 1776, when they were 



begun once more. Martial law came in, and martial law permits the 
provost marshal to do as he pleases. 

It is not, however, the purpose of this paper to trace the course of 
events between the 19th of April and the 17th of June, when Gen- 
eral Gage attempted to raise the siege at Bunker hill, or to give an 
account of the part played by New Hampshire men in the siege 
during these two months, and in that ever memorable battle, since 
that has already been done with painstaking care and accuracy in the 
able and scholarly paper read at the last annual meeting of the society 
by the Hon. Henry M. Baker; but rather to sketch briefly the rela- 
tion of New Hampshire men and troops to the events following the 
battle of Bunker hill and ending with the evacuation of the town by 
the British March 17, 1776. 

Such a sketch must, at its best, be inadequate and incomplete, since 
there is no means of identifying the New Hampshire men who were 
serving in Massachusetts regiments. There were such at Bunker hill, 
as has been conclusively shown, and in most of the regiments from 
eastern Massachusetts there were also New Hampshire men in con- 
siderable numbers. We can deal only with the organized regiments 
and companies raised and officered by New Hampshire authority. 
The regiments of Colonels Stark and Reed were at Bunker hill and 
performed magnificent service. When the battle was over they did not 
retreat far. They stopped at Winter hill, now within the limits of the 
city of Somerville, on the night of the battle, and began preparations 
at once to occupy and fortify it. This eminence, in sight of Charles- 
town, and within cannon shot distance of Bunker hill, was one of the 
most important points to the north of Boston, and the spot was well 
chosen by the New Hampshire colonels for fortifications and intrench- 
ments, and was, indeed, of greater value than was Prospect hill, near by, 
which was occupied by General Putnam the same evening, and who 
spent the entire night with his troops in throwing up intrenchments. A 
small force had been previously posted on Winter hill, consisting of a 
subaltern, two sergeants, and twenty men, but nothing had been done 
by way of fortification. The regiments of Stark and Reed were joined 
two days later by that of Colonel Poor, with the exception of one com- 
pany which was left for guard duty in New Hampshire, and Gen. 
Nathaniel Folsom, on June 20, arrived and took command. Colonel 
Poor's regiment, owing to a lack of tents, was obliged to quarter for 
a time in Medford, but his men worked with those of the regiments 
of Stark and Reed in vigorously pushing the works which had been 
begun. The fort on this hill, which was the headquarters of the three 



New Hampshire regiments for nearly all the time during the siege, 
is said to have been larger, and the intrenchments to have been more 
numerous than those of any of the other positions of the army, and 
Ploughed hill, which was still nearer to Charlestown, afterwards known 
as Mount Benedict, and the site of the historic Ursuline convent, which 
was later occupied and fortified by the New Hampshire troops, may 
be regarded as almost a part of the Winter hill works. 

The New Hampshire troops thus at the very beginning, and, indeed, 
for the greater part of the time during the siege, were given a position 
by themselves, were the larger part of one of the six brigades into 
which the army was divided, and were under the command of a 
New Hampshire brigadier. 

On the 2 ist of April, 1775, two days after the Lexington and Con- 
cord fight, a convention which had been hastily summoned met at Ex- 
eter and chose Nathaniel Folsom of that town brigadier-general to 
command the troops that had gone, or might go "from this government 
to assist our suffering brethren in the province of Massachusetts." 
General Folsom, while not a great soldier, had rendered gallant ser- 
vice in the French and Indian war of 1755. He commanded a company 
at Fort Edward, and did distinguished service at the defeat and cap- 
ture of Baron Dieskau, and before the Revolution broke out had 
been made a general officer of the militia by the provincial government. 
It was, doubtless, this fact which led to his selection by the conven- 
tion instead of John Stark, who in the same war had unquestionably 
rendered more brilliant service. Stark had, immediately on hearing the 
news from Lexington, left for the scene of hostilities, and was at the 
time of Folsom's appointment actively engaged in raising troops for 
the patriot cause. He felt slighted at the preferment of Folsom, and 
refused at first to serve under him, but his enthusiasm for the cause 
made his hesitation only temporary. Folsom's service at Winter hill 
was but brief, being relieved July 7 or 8 by John Sullivan, who had 
been made one of the eight brigadiers by the continental congress 
when Washington was made commander-in-chief. General Folsom 
returned home and devoted himself to patriotic service in civil life, 
serving in the continental congress in 1777-1778, as he had pre- 
viously served in 1 774-1 775. 

The New Hampshire convention of April 21 adjourned April 25, 
but formal notices had, in the meantime, been given the towns to 
send delegates to a convention to be held on the 17th of May, and 
this convention had, when assembled, proceeded to prepare for war 
in earnest. It was voted to raise a force of two thousand men, and to 



6 

adopt those already in the field either as independent squads or in 
Massachusetts organizations. It was also voted to organize these 
troops into a brigade of three regiments. Brigadier-General Folsom 
was appointed major-general, and James Reed and Enoch Poor col- 
onels of two of the regiments. The other colonelcy was left open for 
John Stark if he should see fit to resign the commission he had just 
accepted under the Massachusetts government. Stark, as has been 
previously said, hesitated, but finally went to Exeter and took a com- 
mission from the convention as colonel of his regiment, which was 
already in the field under Massachusetts authority. This regiment 
was styled, in order to satisfy Stark's scruples concerning seniority 
" the First regiment in New Hampshire for the defense of America." 
As organized it consisted of twelve companies, two of which it was 
arranged were to be turned over to Colonel Reed. Colonel Poor's 
regiment was called the Second New Hampshire and Colonel Reed's 
the Third. 

It is hardly necessary to speak of Colonels Stark, Poor, and 
Reed, who were each active and prominent figures in the siege. 
There was but one John Stark in the war of the Revolution. Of 
Scotch-Irish ancestry, his father an emigrant from the north of Ire- 
land, having been one of the original proprietors of Dunbarton (then 
called Starkstown), he was born in Londonderry May 8, 1722. His 
early life was that of the frontier woodsman and huntsman. He was 
captured by the Indians in 1752, remaining in captivity until ransomed 
by the province of Massachusetts. In 1755 he became a lieutenant in 
Maj. Robert Rogers's famous corps of Rangers, and served with it, 
soon rising to the rank of captain, through all the campaigns around 
Lake George and Lake Champlain, in which region traditions still 
exist of his capacity and bravery. At the close of this French and 
Indian war, so called, he engaged in farming at Derryfield, now Man- 
chester, and continued in this until the news from Lexington reached 
him. He promptly mounted his horse, and, followed by several hun- 
dred of his neighbors, set out for Cambridge. Commissioned as col- 
onel by the Massachusetts government, in one day he recruited his 
regiment, composed almost exclusively of men from the New Hamp- 
shire frontier towns. What it accomplished at Bunker hill New 
Hampshire, at least, knows by heart. It is hardly to be wondered at 
that he felt his service entitled him to something more than ordinary 
recognition at the hands of the Exeter government, and that he hesi- 
tated about accepting service under Nathaniel Folsom. 

Enoch Poor was a native of Massachusetts, born at Andover June 



II, 1736. He served at the age of nineteen as a private under his 
brother Thomas, captain in the expedition under Gen. John Wins- 
low for the subjugation of the French inhabitants of Nova Scotia, and 
the protection of that peninsula from the government of France. He 
removed to Exeter, N. H., about 1760, where he followed the occupa- 
tion of shipbuilder, and became active in the measures and events of 
the province leading up to the Revolution. He was a member of two 
of the three provincial congresses held in 1775, being prevented from 
participating in the third only by his other patriotic engagements. 
When the provincial congress, May 21, authorized the raising of a 
regiment in addition to the troops then at Cambridge, of which it 
was proposed to make two, Poor devoted himself to the task and 
speedily accomplished it. His regiment was kept on duty in New 
Hampshire until after the battle at Bunker hill, when it joined the 
other two regiments at Winter hill, with the exception of one com- 
pany under the command of Capt. Henry Elkins of Hampton, which 
was reserved for coast duty in that town until August 1 . Subsequent 
events proved that no mistake was made in bestowing a colonel's com- 
mission upon Poor, or in giving him his later promotions. His 
premature death in New Jersey in the autumn of 1778, more than 
four years before the close of the war, is perhaps the cause of a neg- 
lect on the part of his state to honor his memory and his distinguished 
services as they deserve, a neglect which is to be regretted, but for 
which it is hoped at least partial atonement may soon be made. 

James Reed was also a native of Massachusetts, born in Woburn 
in 1724. Like Stark and Poor he also saw service in the French 
and Indian war, commanding a company in Col. Joseph Blanchard's 
regiment in the campaign under Sir William Johnson in 1755. He 
was with Gen. James Abercrombie at Ticonderoga in 1758, and also 
served under Gen. Jeffrey Amherst in 1759. In 1765 he settled in 
Fitzwilliam, N. H., of which town he was one of the original proprie- 
tors, and at the outbreak of the Revolution his military experience, 
energy, and commanding address made him unusually efficient in se- 
curing recruits for the American cause. He had been made a lieuten- 
ant-colonel in the New Hampshire militia in 1770, and in May, 1775, 
was in command of a regiment of New Hampshire men at Cambridge. 
His service at Bunker hill, holding the historic rail fence with John 
Stark, and protecting the retreat of the main body of the American 
soldiers from the redoubt, is a household story. Colonel Reed rendered 
faithful and efficient service during the long, irksome months of the 
siege. His only subsequent service was with the army in Canada un- 



der General Sullivan in 1776, where his regiment suffered severely 
from disease, more than one third dying during the campaign. On 
the retreat Colonel Reed was attacked by smallpox before arriving at 
Ticonderoga, and recovering from this disease with both sight and 
hearing seriously impaired, he was compelled to retire from the ser- 
vice. 

The most important figure among New Hampshire men during the 
siege of Boston after the battle of Bunker hill was, beyond question, 
that of John Sullivan, who early in July succeeded General Folsom in 
command of the New Hampshire troops, who, with three Massachu- 
setts regiments, constituted one of the six brigades of the army of 
investment as organized by Washington. The story of his early life 
reads like that of improbable romance. He was borr. in Somers- 
worth, N. H., February 17, 1740. His father, John Sullivan, who 
died a year later than his son, in 1796, at the age of 105, was born in 
Limerick, Ireland, during the famous siege of 1691, and came to 
America in 1723. The son, when but a boy of fifteen, became a 
member of the family of Judge Isaac Livermore of Portsmouth, and 
under his instruction, though without previous educational advantages 
than those furnished him by his Irish schoolmaster father, prepared 
himself for the profession of law. He early exhibited ability of high 
order, and attained by his industry, learning, and eloquence a dis- 
tinguished position at the bar of the province of New Hampshire. 
Soon after his marriage, at the age of twenty, he purchased a home in 
Durham, which continued to be his residence until his death in 1795, 
and the residence of his widow until her death in 1820. In 1772 he 
was appointed a major in the militia, and in December, 1774, in con- 
nection with John Langdon, led the successful expeditions against 
Fort William and Mary. He was sent from New Hampshire in May, 
1774, as a delegate to the first continental congress, and was also an 
active member of the second congress in 1775, serving on important 
committees, and holding the chairmanship of that on war, where he 
was made one of the brigadier-generals of the first continental army 
then engaged in the siege of Boston. His appointment was the result 
of a compromise. General Folsom and Colonel Stark were both candi- 
dates for the appointment, but a feeling had grown up between these two 
distinguished patriots and their friends, amounting almost to bitterness, 
which made it seem unadvisable to appoint either, and so the choice 
fell upon Sullivan. In the light of subsequent events it may well be 
said that the compromise was a fortunate one, as was also that when 
the army was reorganized in 1777. Stark and Folsom were again rival 



9 

candidates for a brigadier-general's commission, when Colonel Poor, 
who was not a candidate, received the coveted honor. It will be re- 
membered that Colonel Stark refused to serve under General Poor, as 
he had at first refused to report to General Folsom, and the question 
has sometimes been raised why he rendered loyal and cheerful service 
under Sullivan. The answer is not difficult. Stark was undoubtedly 
pleased, if he could not have the brigadier-general's commission him- 
self, to have Folsom superseded, but in the later event he could not 
be reconciled to the idea of having one whom he regarded as a junior 
colonel, and who had served as junior in the same brigade, promoted 
over his head. There was a difference in the two cases, which account- 
ed for the difference in Stark's conduct. 

When Washington took command of the army July 3, 1775, if such 
it might be called, it consisted of an enrollment of about 17,000 
armed men, of whom about 14,500 were present and fit for duty. 
Frothingham, in his invaluable history of the siege, says of it: 

"General Washington found himself at the head of a body of 
armed men rather than of regular ranks of soldiers ; of men grown 
rugged in the calls of labor, patriotic, true to the American cause, but 
with high notions of independence, and hence impatient of the neces- 
sary restraints of a life of war. Discipline was lax ; offences were 
frequent ; there was no general organization, and, worse than all, 
hardly powder enough in the camp for nine cartridges to a man. 
Washington felt the difficulty of maintaining, with such material, a 
line of posts so exposed against an army of well disciplined and well 
supplied veterans. He was obliged to keep every part of his extended 
works well guarded, while the enemy could concentrate his force on 
any one point, and without an hour's notice could make a formidable 
attack. It was under such circumstances that he was obliged to re- 
model his army and summon order to arise out of confusion." 1 In 
a letter dated July 27, 1775, Washington himself wrote : " I found 
a mixed multitude of people here, under very little discipline, order, 
or government." 

The British force in Boston was estimated at about 11,000, and 
was from time to time during the siege considerably reinforced. 

In organizing his army Washington arranged it in three grand 
divisions, each consisting of two brigades, or twelve regiments, in 
which the troops from the same colony were, as far as practicable, 
brought together. The right wing of the army, which Washington 
placed at Roxbury, which, with its neighboring towns, commanded 
1 Frothingham, p. 217. 



10 

the approaches to the peninsula town from the south, was placed 
under the command of the senior major-general, Artemas Ward, who 
had been in chief command until the arrival of Washington. The 
first brigade, composed exclusively of Massachusetts regiments, was 
in command of Brigadier-General John Thomas ; and the second 
brigade, composed of three regiments of Connecticut troops, number- 
ing 2,333, an d three Massachusetts commands, was in command of 
Brigadier-General Joseph Spencer. 

The left wing was placed under command of Maj.-Gen. Charles 
Lee, who had obtained the commission of major-general, second in 
command to Washington, everybody now knows how. The first 
brigade, under command of Maj.-Gen. John Sullivan, which was 
composed of the three New Hampshire regiments of Stark, Poor, and 
Reed, and with the enrollment at that time, July 9, 1775, of 1,664 
men, the three Massachusetts regiments of Colonels Nixon, Mansfield, 
and Doolittle, numbering 1,215 men, was given the position of first 
importance on the north side of the besieged town, at Winter hill, 
later occupying Ploughed hill as well, and commanded the approaches 
to Charlestown Neck. 

The center, with headquarters at Cambridge, filled the gap of the 
semicircular land environment of Boston. Washington had established 
his headquarters there, and Maj.-Gen. Israel Putnam was in com- 
mand of the division, with Brig. -Gen. William Heath in command 
of the six Massachusetts regiments composing the first brigade, and 
General Putnam, as senior officer, in command of the second brigade, 
composed of one Connecticut and five Massachusetts regiments. The 
second brigade, under General Putnam, had its position in Cambridge, 
but General Heath's brigade scattered its regiments to right and left, 
the Massachusetts regiment of Colonel Gerrish furnishing the com- 
panies for the protection of Maiden and Medford, thus being brought 
into close contact and cooperation with General Sullivan's brigade. 

l The staff roll of the first New Hampshire regiment on August 1, 
1775, was: Colonel, John Stark; lieutenant-colonel, Isaac Wyman ; 
major, John Moore, in place of Maj. Andrew McClary, killed at 
Bunker hill; adjutant, Abiel Chandler; quartermaster, Henry Parkin- 
son ; chaplain, David Osgood ; surgeon, Obediah Williams ; surgeon's 
mate, Josiah Chase. 

The first company of this regiment had been commanded by Capt. 
Isaac Baldwin of Hillsborough, who was killed at Bunker hill. John 
Hale of Hopkinton succeeded him in command, and his lieutenant was 

•See N. H. State Papers, vol. 14, for rosters of the three regiments. 



11 

Stephen Hoit, also of Hopkinton. The men composing this company 
were largely from Hillsborough, Hopkinton, Bradford, and Warner. 
The second company was under the command of Elisha Woodbury 
of Salem, Lieut. Thomas Hardy of Pelham, and Second Lieut. Jona- 
than Corlis of Salem, the company being mostly made up of Salem, 
Windham, and Pelham men. 

The officers of the third company were Capt. Samuel Richards and 
Lieuts. Moses Little and Jesse Carr, all of Goffstown, and the men 
were nearly all from Goffstown, New Boston, and Weare. 

Capt. Thomas McLaughlin of the fourth company was from Bed- 
ford, and his first lieutenant was from Derryfield, now Manchester. 
The men were from Derryfield, Bedford, and Brookline. 

The fifth company was under command of Capt. Joshua Abbott of 
Concord, with First Lieut. Samuel Atkinson, also of Concord, and 
Second Lieut. Abiel Chandler of Boscawen. This was a Concord, 
Boscawen, and Salisbury company. 

Another Concord company was the sixth, with Capt. Gordon 
Hutchins and Lieut. Daniel Livermore, both from that town, and the 
rank and file made up from Concord, Henniker, and vicinity. 

Capt. Aaron Kinsman of the seventh company was of Bow, and 
Lieut. Ebenezer Eastman was from Concord, but the men were from 
different small towns in the state, who had come to Concord for en- 
listment. 

Henry Dearborn of Nottingham was captain of the eighth com- 
pany, and his lieutenants, Amos Morrill and Michael McClary, were 
from Epsom. The men were from Nottingham, Deerfield, Chichester, 
Epsom, Exeter, and Barrington. 

The ninth company was commanded by Daniel Moore of Deerfield, 
and his lieutenants were Ebenezer Frye and John Moore of Pembroke. 
The company was recruited largely in Pembroke, Allenstown, and 
Bow. 

Captain George Reid and both his lieutenants, Abraham Reid and 
James Anderson, were of Londonderry, as were also most of the men 
of the tenth company. 

As has been previously noted the fourth provincial congress of 
New Hampshire, May 24, 1775, appointed Enoch Poor of Exeter, col- 
onel, John McDuffee of Rochester, lieutenant-colonel, and Joseph 
Cilley of Nottingham, major, of a regiment of troops to be known as 
the Second New Hampshire regiment, and authorized Ihe committee 
of safety to issue orders for enlisting the men. On the same day 
orders were issued to the following persons to enlist each a company 



LifC. 



12 

of sixty-two able-bodied, effective men, viz. : Winborn Adams, Dur- 
ham ; Winthrop Rowe, Kensington ; Henry Elkins, Hampton ; Samuel 
Gilman, Newmarket; Philip Tilton, Kingston ; Benjamin Titcomb, 
Dover; Jonathan Wentworth, Somersworth ; Jeremiah Clough, Canter- 
bury; James Norris, Epping; and Zaccheus Clough, Poplin. Capt. 
Zaccheus Clough did not accept the appointment, and Richard Short- 
ridge of Portsmouth was appointed in his place. The other regimen- 
tal officers besides those named were : Adjutant, Jeremiah Fogg of Ken- 
sington ; quartermaster, Joseph Fogg of Kensington ; surgeon, C. G. 
Adams of Exeter ; surgeon's mate, William Sawyer of Plaistow. 

Capt. Winborn Adams's company had for first and second lieutenants, 
John Griffin and Zebulon Drew, both of Durham, and the men were, 
with few exceptions, from Durham, Barrington, Madburv, and Lee. 

James Carr of Somersworth was first lieutenant, and Jethro Heard 
of Dover second lieutenant, of Capt. Jonathan Wentworth's company, 
and the men were from Dover, Somersworth, and vicinity. 

Capt. James Norris and his lieutenants, Simeon Dearborn, John 
Gilman, David Kelley, the latter being promoted to a lieutenancy 
July 20, when Simeon Dearborn was discharged, were all from Ep- 
ping, as were most of the company, a few hailing, however, from 
Deerfield, Nottingham, Poplin, and Raymond. 

First Lieut. Zebulon Hilliard of Capt. Winthrop Rowe's company 
was from Hampton Falls, and Second Lieut. Abraham Sanborn from 
Poplin, while the men were largely from Kensington and Seabrook. 

Of Captain Gilman's company, Lieut. Benjamin Kimball was from 
Newmarket, and Lieut. Harvey Moore from Stratham, and most of the 
company was recruited in these two towns. 

Capt. Henry Elkins's lieutenants were Moses Leavitt of North 
Hampton and Richard Brown of Rye. The company was also com- 
posed of Hampton, North Hampton, and Rye men. 

Captain Titcomb's company had for first lieutenants Frederick M. 
Bell of Newcastle and Ephraim Evans of Dover. The men were 
from Dover, Rochester, Barrington, Wolfeborough, and New Durham. 

Lieut. Aaron Sanborn of Captain Clough's company was from San- 
bornton, and Lieut. Thomas Lyford from Northfield. The men were 
from Northfield, Sanbornton, and Canterbury. 

Captain Tilton had for his first lieutenant Jacob Webster of Kings- 
ton, and for second lieutenant John Tilton of Sandown. The men 
were largely from Kingston, Sandown, and Brentwood. 

Captain Shortridge's company was mostly from Portsmouth and 
vicinity, as was his first lieutenant, Zachariah Beal, while Nathaniel 
Thwing, his second lieutenant, was from Newmarket. 



13 

With the exception of the last named company all were recruited 
within a week after Colonel Poor's appointment. June 17, the day 
of the battle of Bunker hill, two companies of the regiment were or- 
dered to proceed by the middle of the next week to Cambridge, but 
on June 18, news of the battle having reached Exeter, the entire 
regiment, except Captain Elkins's company, was ordered to march 
immediately to the scene of hostilities. 

The field and staff officers of Col. James Reed's regiment, the 
Third New Hampshire, were: Lieut. -colonel, Israel Gilman of New- 
market ; major, Nathan Hale of Rindge ; brigade major, Alexander 
Scammell of Durham ; adjutant, Stephen Peabody of Amherst ; quar- 
termaster, Isaac Frye of Amherst; surgeon, Ezra Green of Dover; 
surgeon's mate, Nathaniel Breed of Packersfield. The two last named 
were not appointed until June 27, ten days after the battle of Bunker 
hill was fought. 

The line officers of the regiment were : 

First company, Capt. Hezekiah Hutchins, Hampstead, First Lieut. 
Amos Emerson, Chester, Second Lieut. John March, Chester. The 
men were mainly from Chester, Hampstead, and Candia. 

Second company, Capt. Jacob Hinds, Chesterfield, First Lieut. 
Isaac Stone, Westmoreland, Second Lieut. George Aldrich, West- 
moreland. The men were from those towns and Hinsdale. 

Third company, Capt. Levi Spaulding, Lyndeborough, First Lieut. 
Joseph Bradford, Second Lieut. Thomas Buss, the lieutenants and 
men being from Lyndeborough, Hudson, Temple, etc. 

Fourth company, Capt. Ezra Towne, New Ipswich, First Lieut. 
Josiah Browne, New Ipswich, and Second Lieut. John Harkness of 
Richmond, with men from the same towns. 

Fifth company, Capt. Jonathan Whitcomb, Swanzey, First Lieut. 
Elijah Clayes, Fitzwilliam, Second Lieut. Stephen Carter, Keene, the 
men being mostly from the same towns. 

Sixth company, Capt. William Walker, First Lieut. James Brown, 
Second Lieut. William Roby, all of Dunstable, with men from the same 
town, Merrimack, Hudson, and Amherst. 

Seventh company, Capt. Philip Thomas, Rindge, First Lieut. John 
Harper, Jaffrey, Second Lieut. Ezekiel Rand, Rindge, with nearly 
all the men from the same towns. 

Eighth company, Capt. Benjamin Mann, Mason, First Lieut. James 
Brewer, Marlborough, Second Lieut. Samuel Pettingale, Wilton, with 
men from the same towns and from Temple. 

Ninth company, Capt. Josiah Crosby, First Lieut. Daniel Wilkins, 



14 

Second Lieut. Thomas Maxwell, all of Amherst, as were most of the 
men, the town including then Milford and Mont Vernon. 

Tenth company, Capt. John Marcy, Walpole, First Lieut. Isaac 
Farwell, Charlestown, Second Lieut. James Taggart, Peterborough. 
The men were from these and other Cheshire county towns. 

The names of officers and men in these three regiments are almost 
exclusively English names. The men who bore them were English- 
men, — English yeomen of the same type as those who, under Crom- 
well more than a century and a quarter before, had overthrown a 
corrupt monarchy and established in its place a commonwealth. They 
were at the first wretchedly armed. Their guns were of different cali- 
bres, with but few bayonets, with but little ammunition, and with 
commissary provisions of the most primitive character. After Wash- 
ington took command, and during the progress of the siege, there was 
improvement, but there was all through the siege sad lack of arms, 
ammunition, and clothing. 

Moses Emerson of Durham had been appointed "Commissary for 
the Army" May 25, by the convention at Exeter, and some idea of 
the difficulties of his position may be gleaned from a letter sent by 
him to the New Hampshire committee of safety, dated eleven days 
after the engagement at Bunker hill. He wrote: 1 "As for picks and 
shovels, there is a supply, having bought some and having received 
some from Cambridge — . . . Before I arrived Col. Stark bor- 
rowed a large chest of medicine of Massachusetts, which, with that 
brought by Dr. Adams and a small one sent by Dr. Cutter, is thought 
to be a pretty good supply for the present. I have not as yet begun 
to deliver out stores, but expect to begin the day after to-morrow if a 
supply comes in. At present we have but 11 bbl. of pork and 10 of 
flour in store . . . Can't inform you what quantity of fresh beef 
our troops can consume in a week; should think near about 6,000. 
Tents, wooden bowles & platters & spoons are very much wanted." 

After the arrival of Washington and the organization of the army 
there was a semblance of a regular commissary supply, but the supply 
was gathered from the nearby towns in Massachusetts and from the 
localities in New Hampshire which had furnished troops. If there was 
at some times scarcity, the besiegers had, at least, the advantage of 
the besieged in the quality of food, since there was during a part of 
the siege actual suffering in Boston, both among the troops and the 
inhabitants who had remained in the town. 

One of the most important achievements of the summer was one in 

l State Papers, Vol. 14, p. 45. 



15 

which the New Hampshire troops bore the main part. They had made 
the Winter hill fortifications among the strongest, if not, indeed, the 
very strongest, in the cordon of works surrounding Boston. But in 
' front of Winter hill, and within point-blank shot of Bunker hill, was 
what was then called Ploughed hill, now within the limits of the city 
of Somerville, and half a century and more ago known as Mount Ben- 
edict, the site of the historic Ursuline convent. Washington early 
recognized the importance of taking possession of it. It had been 
rumored, almost from the day of Washington's taking command of 
the army, that the British intended to come out of Boston and storm 
the American intrenchments, and it had come to be understood that 
Earl Percy was to make the attack on the 25th of August, and thus 
have the opportunity of retrieving the honor he lost in the Lexington 
affair. There is little doubt that during the latter part of August 
Washington felt himself ready to resist an attack and would have wel- 
comed it. It was expected that the occupation of Ploughed hill would 
bring on a general action, but in any event Ploughed hill was a strat- 
egic point in the siege. The British did not make the predicted 
assault August 25, and on the night of August 26 a fatigue party of 
a thousand men, with a guard of 2,400, most of whom were New 
Hampshire troops, under General Sullivan, marched to this hill, and 
worked so diligently and effectively during the night, that in the morn- 
ing the works were strong enough to form a good protection against 
the enemy's cannon. The British recognized the importance of the 
work performed, and on the morning of the 27th, Sunday, began a 
heavy cannonade from Bunker hill, also from one of the ships in 
Mystic river, and from two floating batteries stationed in the river, and 
continued it during the day. Three of General Sullivan's command 
were killed, but the new intrenchment was held. General Sullivan 
did not return the fire on account of the scarcity of powder. He 
planted a battery, however, at Ten Hills farm to play upon the floating 
batteries in the river, and sunk one of them and effectually silenced 
the other. The one weakness of the American force at this time was 
the scarcity of powder. Colonel Reed, under date of August 24, wrote : 
"The word 'powder' sets us all on tiptoe. We have been in a ter- 
rible situation, occasioned by a mistake in a return ; we reckoned upon 
three hundred quarter casks, and had but thirty-two barrels." The fire 
of the British ceased at night on the 26th, but was renewed on Monday, 
and the British were observed from Chelsea to be drawn up and in 
motion on Bunker hill. The camp was alarmed, and five thousand troops 
were marched to Ploughed hill and to the Charlestown road to reinforce 



16 

General Sullivan, and Washington expected, even hoped, that an 
attack would be made. The British, however, declined the challenge, 
though they continued for several days to bombard the works, which 
General Sullivan continued, under fire, to strengthen. The firing 
ceased on the ioth of September. This intrenchment of Ploughed 
hill was one of the most important events of the summer and autumn, 
and the task of defending the works fell to General Sullivan and to 
his New Hampshire troops. There was a furious cannonade of shot and 
shell against the works on the 20th and 21st of September, and again 
on the 25th, but it was ineffective, though it was attacked more furi- 
ously than any other work during the entire siege. 

General Sullivan with his New Hampshire troops was virtually in 
command at Winter hill and Ploughed hill during the entire siege, 
except for a brief period in November, 1775, when he went to Ports- 
mouth under orders from Washington to seize all officers of govern- 
ment there who had given proof of their unfriendly disposition to the 
patriot cause. Winter hill and Ploughed hill were the most important 
points on the north of Boston, and were held during almost the entire 
siege by General Sullivan's brigade, the most important part of which 
were the three regiments of Colonels Stark, Poor, and Reid. 

The critical period of the siege came in December. Washington had 
been planning an attack on Boston during this month, when he would 
be able to cross his troops on the ice, which it was anticipated would 
then be strong enough to bear them. In November and December, 
however, the terms of enlistment of the troops of the four provinces 
which made up the army expired. Enlistments had been made under 
provincial and colonial authority instead of continental. 

In the reorganization of the army to make it continental Washington 
suffered serious embarrassment owing to the fact that the men would 
not reenlist unless they were allowed their favorite commanders, and 
officers refused to serve unless their rank was adjusted to meet their 
expectations. Under date of November 1 1 Washington wrote : " The 
trouble I have in the arrangement of the army is really inconceivable." 
But the obstacle, so far as officers were concerned, was at length over- 
come, and about the middle of November recruiting orders were given 
out. It was expected that most of the old army would reenlist, but 
Washington was doomed to severe disappointment. Men refused to 
reenlist. By the first of December only about 5,000 men had signed 
papers. Even the patriotism and patience of George Washington was 
put to a severe test. He wrote : " Such a dearth of public spirit and 
want of virtue, such stock-jobbing and fertility in all the low arts, to 



17 

obtain advantage of one kind and another, I never saw before, and 
pray God I may never be witness to again." 

At this juncture the men of the New Hampshire regiments, with a 
few inconspicuous exceptions, stood fast by the cause. 

The Connecticut troops, however, failed, and failed utterly. It is to 
the glory of New Hampshire that she joined with Massachusetts in 
making good the defection and disgrace of Connecticut. The situa- 
tion, critical in the extreme, is best described in letters of General 
Sullivan to the New Hampshire committee of safety. Under date of 
November 29, he wrote from Winter hill : 

1 " General Washington has sent to New Hampshire for thirty-one 
companies to take possession of and defend our lines in room of the 
Connecticut forces who most scandalously refuse to tarry to the first 
of January. I must therefore entreat your utmost exertions to forward 
the raising those companies, lest the enemy should take advantage of 
their absence and force our lines. As the Connecticut men will at all 
events leave us at or before the tenth of next month, pray call upon 
every true friend to his country to assist with heart and hand in raising 
and sending forward those companies as soon as possible." 

The next day, November 30, General Sullivan had obtained additional 
information, and his letter under that date to the committee of safety is 
more urgent and his language more forcible. He wrote : 2 

" I have by command of his Excellency General Washington to 
inform you that the Connecticut forces, (deaf to the entreaties of their 
own as well as all other officers & regardless of the contempt with which 
their own government threatens to treat them upon their return), 
have absolutely refused to tarry till the first day of January, but will 
quit the lines on the sixth of December. They have deceived us and 
their officers by contending there would be no difficulty with them till 
they have got so near the close of their term : and now to their eternal 
infamy demand a bounty to induce them to tarry only the three weeks. 
This is such an insult to every American that we are determined to re- 
lease them at the expiration of their term at all hazards & find our- 
selves obliged immediately to supply their place with troops from New 
Hampshire & Massachusetts Bay. The number required from you is 
thirty-one companys of sixty-four men in a company, including a cap- 
tain, two subalterns, three sergeants and three corporals which makes 
fifty-five privates each. The whole number of officers and men amount 

101984 They are to serve to the 15th of January next 

if required I earnestly entreat you for the honour of 

*State Papers, Vol. 7, p. 676. 2 State Papers, Vol. 11, p. 675. 



18 

New Hampshire to show the world your attachment to the noble cause. 
Let the worthless sons of Connecticut know that the other colonies 
will not suffer our lives to be given up or our country destroyed, nor the 
sons of New Hampshire (like those parsimonious wretches) want to be 
bribed into the preservation of their liberties. I hope the eager greed 
with which the New Hampshire forces will march to take possession 
of and defend our lines will evince to the world their love of liberty and 
regard to their country. As you find the business requires such in- 
finite haste, I must entreat you not to give sleep to your eyes nor 

slumber to your eyelids till the troops are on their march 

In case ammunition cannot be supplied for all we must contrive to sup- 
ply those who are destitute here." 

General Sullivan was fully cognizant of the situation, and made 
recommendations concerning men who should be captains of com- 
panies to be raised. 1 He named Moses Yeaton of Somersworth, 
George Jerry Osborne and George Turner of Portsmouth, James Hale 
of Newmarket, Cutting Cilley of Nottingham, David Place of Roches- 
ter, Alpheus Chesley of Durham, John Waldron of Dover, John Ward 
Gilman of Exeter, Mark Wiggin of Stratham, John Hill of Barrington, 
and James Shepard of Canterbury. 

The committee of safety took immediate action, as appears from the 
following from their records : 

2 " New Hampshire Committee of Safety 

Saturday, December 2, 1775. 

In consequence of a letter from General Sullivan by express inform- 
ing of the withdrawing of the Connecticut troops from the lines at 
Cambridge and desiring a number of troops to be sent from this 
colony to supply their place, the Committee met at Portsmouth on the 
2d day of December, and gave orders to the following gentlemen, 
each to enlist a company of 61 able bodied men, including three ser- 
geants and three corporals well provided with arms and blankets, to 
serve in the Continental Army under the command of General Wash- 
ington, until the 15th of January next unless sooner discharged, and as 
soon as enlisted to march them immediately to join Gen. Sullivan's 
brigade, viz. : Captains David Place, Henry Elkins, Daniel Runnells, 
John Watson, Alpheus Chesley, David Copp, Moses Baker, Mark 
Wiggin, Joseph Pearsons, Moses Yeaton, Elijah Denbo, Jacob Web- 
ster, Nathaniel Odiorne, Peter Coffin, Stephen Clark, and Greenleaf 
Clark. 

By Order of the Committee. 

William Whipple, 
Chairman pro tern.' 1 ' 1 

'State Papers, II, p. 677. s Foice, Amer. Archives, Vol 4, p. 7. 



19 

On this same day, December 2, General Sullivan sent by express 
another letter to the committee of safety. He wrote: " I take this 
opportunity to inform you that the Connecticut forces not only de- 
termine to quit our lines at the expiration of their term, but to their 
eternal infamy endeavored to leave us yesterday which was five days 
before their time expired. We can therefore have no hope of their 
tarrying after the sixth. Half General Putnam's regiment is now under 
guard. The people who have escaped from Boston inform us that the 
enemy are fully acquainted with our situation and will probably take 
advantage of it. For Heaven's sake despatch your forces as soon as 
possible." 

The form of enlisting orders was adopted the same day, December 
2, and was directed to the several gentlemen who were selected by 
the committee of safety to enlist companies and serve as captains. It 
read as follows : 

1 " You are hereby authorized immediately to enlist a Company to 
consist of sixty-one able-bodied, effective men including three ser- 
geants and three corporals, well accoutred with arms and provided with 
blankets to serve in the Continental Army under command of His Ex- 
cellency General Washington until the fifteenth day of January next 
unless sooner dismissed, and you are hereby informed that you will 
have liberty to nominate two subalterns in said Company under you 
who will be commissioned accordingly, if approved by this Committee. 
And you are to march the said company when enlisted, seasonably so 
as to join General Sullivan's brigade on Winter Hill at or before the 
10th of December, inst, and you may assure the said company that 
their pay will be the same as the other continental troops, will 
commence the day they march and that those who supply themselves 
with provisions on their march shall receive the price of their rations, 
and that they will be paid off the moment they are dismissed and also 
be paid for their return home. 

By Order of the Committee. 

William Whipple, 
Chair matt pro tern.''' 1 

Letters were also sent by the committee to Colonel Hobart and 
Colonel Walker, urging them to proceed with all possible despatch to 
raise these companies. Colonel Hobart was sent to Hillsborough 
county and Colonel Walker was urged to do everything possible in 
what is now Merrimack county. The letter to Colonel Walker from 
the committee, dated December 3, is of interest: 

1 State Papers, Vol. 7, p. 679. 



20 

!" By express from Gen. Sullivan we are informed that the Con- 
necticut troops whose term of enlistment expired the last day of 
November, are about returning home. Gen. Washington has de- 
sired New Hampshire to send him 31 companies to man the lines 
until the 15 th of January next, and to be at Winter Hill by the 10th of 
this month at the furthest. . . . We earnestly request your ut- 
most exertions in raising and forwarding the men, as our lines being 
kept open may be of fatal consequence. The time is short, pray em- 
ploy every moment to have some companies march. The captains 
are desired to be careful in enlisting none but good men properly 
equipped as they cannot be mustered. They must take provisions 
from home to last them to the camp for which the General Engages to 
pay the money. . . . James Shepard of Canterbury has been 
recommended as a good man to raise a company." 

In the meantime General Sullivan was earnestly renewing his re- 
quest for the reinforcements, and incidentally reaffirming and empha- 
sizing his already expressed opinion of the Connecticut troops. Un- 
der date of Winter hill, December 3, he wrote : 

2 " Notwithstanding every method has been taken to keep the Con- 
necticut forces on the ground till relief could be had from the country, 
the cowardly traitors begin to leave us in companies and regiments, 
and that even six or seven days before the time is expired. What 
has possessed these vile poltroons remains yet a secret. We have 
sent handbills similar to the one enclosed before them on the road, 
and I trust they will have the desired effect. A gentleman from Bos- 
ton was here last evening and says the enemy are by some means or 
other fully acquainted with our situation and he fears much they will 
take advantage of it. I entreat you gentlemen to spare no pains in 
forwarding the march of your troops, as much may depend on their 
speedy arrival." 

It was no small thing which was requested of New Hampshire, to 
furnish on so short a notice 31 companies of able-bodied men number- 
ing 63 men each, these to furnish their own equipment, and the report 
of progress sent to General Sullivan by the committee of safety under 
date of December 5 is of the greatest value as containing an enumera- 
tion of some of the obstacles which had to be overcome. The com- 
mittee say: 3 " Upon Mr. Sherburn's arrival on Friday evening, 
expresses were sent out which brought the committee together on 

1 State Papers. Vol. 7, p. 680. 

2 State Papers, Vol. 7, p. 68. 
8 State Papers, Vol. 7, p. 6S2. 



21 

Saturday in the forenoon. They immediately proceeded with the ut- 
most diligence to raise the companies requested. Sent off expresses 
to the County of Hillsborough, to Concord, etc., as well as to the 
neighboring towns, with a considerable number of enlisting orders and 
letters to gentlemen of the greatest influence, requesting their vigorous 
exertions in the affair, but have had no returns from the distant parts. 
We have had many obstacles to encounter which we did not expect, 
and have spent most of the time, day and night, since we met, in en- 
deavoring to surmount them. None of the troops here would enlist 
before they were paid for their time here until the last enlistment, 
yet no pay rolls were made out before. We have near 20 to examine 
and pay, and a great part to draw over and calculate, which took up 
a great part of our time, and many demanded pay for their time since 
the last enlistment, which we were obliged to comply with. Then 
another great difficulty was that but three out of four commissioned 
officers could be admitted in these companies proposed, and some 
clamored highly because no field officers were to go, alleging they 
should be commanded by field officers from the other colonies, 
which they would not submit to. Several accounts were current of 
naval preparations making at Boston, supposed for this port, which 
occasioned many to think we should leave ourselves naked by send- 
ing the troops from hence, and encouraged the officers and soldiers to 
expect their being continued here if they did not enlist. However, after 
struggling with all those difficulties, we have so far surmounted them 
as to get several companies filled up. Captains Baker, Copp, Elkins, 
Clark, and Webster, from the troops here, we expect will march to- 
morrow. Captain Wiggin of Stratham, we hear, has raised a com- 
pany and is ready to march. Several more companies are forward. 
Captain Denbo of Lee listed near 30 men here and went home to 
recruit on Sunday. Many more are forward. We think that there is 
a good prospect of near one half the companies you asked for be- 
ing seasonably in from this part of the colony. We hope the people 
on the western part of the government will exert themselves. A few 
more than 31 enlistments have been given out as we thought some 
would fail. Strict orders have been given every one to be at the 
camp by the 10th instant, but it is probable the time is so short some 
will be later ; if they should in that case be sent back it will hurt the 
cause greatly. We shall continue our most strenuous efforts to for- 
ward the men." 

Such efforts could but meet with the hearty approval of General- 
Sullivan and of the commander-in-chief. Replying to the commit- 



22 

tee, December 8, he shows himself so appreciative of the efforts 
of New Hampshire that he omits to mention the Connecticut troops. 
He writes : * " Your favor signed by Colonel Whipple is now before 
me, but previous to the receipt thereof Common Fame, with his 
usual readiness, had proclaimed your vigorous exertions and the noble 
spirit of your people. General Washington and all the other officers 
are extremely pleased, and bestow the highest encomiums on you and 
your troops, freely acknowledging that New Hampshire forces, for 
bravery and resolution, far surpass the other colonies, and that no 
province discovers so much zeal in the common cause. Though I 
wish your troops may all arrive before the loth instant, yet none will 
be refused on account of their being a few days later." 

The alacrity with which New Hampshire responded to the call for 
troops in this critical emergency was, indeed, deserving of the high 
praise accorded her. Gen. Nathaniel Greene wrote on the 18th of 
December: 2 " The Connecticut troops have gone home; the militia 
from this province and New Hampshire have come in to take their 
places. Upon this occasion they have discovered a zeal that does 
them the highest honor. New Hampshire behaves nobly." 

Dr. Belknap says that 16 companies of New Hampshire militia, of 
61 men each, supplied the place of the Connecticut troops. But the 
minutes of the committee of safety and the report of Major Burnham, 
the mustering officer appointed by the committee, show that 31 com- 
panies of 63 men each marched to Winter hill in December, 1775, 
and were mustered in. These companies were officered as follows: 

Company 1 . Henry Elkins, Hampton, captain ; David Page, first 
lieutenant ; Ephraim Eaton, second lieutenant. 

Company 2. Benjamin Taylor, Amherst, captain; Nathan Bullard, 
first lieutenant; John Bradford, second lieutenant. 

Company 3. Daniel Runnells, Londonderry, captain ; Joseph Gregg, 
first lieutenant; Daniel Miltimore, second lieutenant. 

Company 4. Jacob Webster, Kingston, captain; Ezekiel Gile, 
first lieutenant; Abijah Wheeler, second lieutenant. 

Company 5. Thomas Bartlett, Nottingham, captain; Daniel Page, 
first lieutenant ; Samuel Gray, second lieutenant. 

Company 6. Benjamin Emery, Concord, captain; John Bradley, 
first lieutenant; Moses Eastman, second lieutenant. 

Company 7. Augustus Blanchard, Merrimack, captain; David 
Allds, first lieutenant ; John Hazelton, second lieutenant. 

1 State Papers, Vol. 7, p. 685. 
*Frothingham, Siege of Boston, p. 274. 



23 

Company 8. Andrew Bunton, Pembroke, captain; Samuel McCon- 
nell, first lieutenant ; Peter Robinson, second lieutenant. 

Company 9. Samuel Connor, Pembroke, captain ; Matthew Petten- 
gill, first lieutenant ; Nathaniel Head, second lieutenant. 

Company 10. Mark Wiggin, Stratham, captain; Nicholas Raw- 
lings, first lieutenant ; William Chase, second lieutenant. 

Company 1 1 . James Gilmore, Windham, captain ; Samuel Kelley, 
first lieutenant ; David Gordon, second lieutenant. 

Company 12. Stephen Clark, Epping, captain; Simon Dearborn, 
first lieutenant ; Daniel Gordon, second lieutenant. 

Company 13. Moses Baker, Candia, captain; Joseph Dearborn, 
first lieutenant ; Benjamin Cass, second lieutenant. 

Company 14. Samuel Baker, Newmarket, captain ; Zebulon Barker, 
first lieutenant ; John Allen, second lieutenant. 

Company 15. David Place, Rochester, captain ; Thomas Hodgdon, 
first lieutenant; Aaron Hanson, second lieutenant. 

Company 16. Elijah Dinsmore, Lee, captain ; John McCrillis, first 
lieutenant ; Eliphalet Duda, second lieutenant. 

Company 17. Alpheus Chesley, Durham, captain ; Archelaus Wood- 
man, first lieutenant; Zaccheus Clough, second lieutenant. 

Company 18. John Waldron, Dover, captain; Ebenezer Ricker, 
first lieutenant ; John Goodwin, second lieutenant. 

Company 19. John Drew, Barrington, captain; William Babb, 
first lieutenant ; George Waterhouse, second lieutenant. 

Company 20. Greenleaf Clark, Greenland, captain ; David Simpson, 
first lieutenant ; John Johnson, second lieutenant. 

Company 21. Nathaniel Odiorne, Portsmouth, captain; John 
Furness, first lieutenant ; William Stilson, second lieutenant. 

Company 22. Benjamin Boardman, Exeter, captain; Porter Kim- 
ball, first lieutenant ; Winthrop Dudley, second lieutenant. 

Company 23. Eleazer Cummings, New Ipswich, captain; Henry 
Ferguson, first lieutenant; Ezekiel Goodale, second lieutenant. 

Company 24. Joseph Parsons, Rye, captain ; William Cooper, first 
lieutenant ; Ebenezer Bayley, second lieutenant. 

Company 25. David Copps, Wakefield, captain; Andrew Gilman, 
first lieutenant ; Samuel Wallingford, second lieutenant. 

Company 26. Noah Worcester, Hollis, captain ; Obadiah Parker, 
first lieutenant ; Robert Seaver, second lieutenant. 

Company 27. Moses Yeaton, Somersworth, captain ; Daniel Hig- 
gins, first lieutenant; Moses Yeaton, second lieutenant. 



24 

Company 28. Joshua Martin, Goffstown, captain; James Smith, 
first lieutenant; William Ayers, second lieutenant. 

Company 29. Timothy Clements, Hopkinton, captain; Joseph 
Chandler, first lieutenant; Amos Gould, second lieutenant. 

Company 30. Peter Coffin, Exeter, captain; John Hull, first lieu- 
tenant ; James Sinclair, second lieutenant. 

Company 31. James Shepard, Canterbury, captain ; Samuel Cham- 
berlain, first lieutenant; Abraham Perkins, second lieutenant. 

The residence of the captains gives a fairly accurate idea of the 
sections of the state from which the companies were recruited. They 
were called " Six Weeks' Men," but the greater part remained with 
General Sullivan upon Winter hill until the evacuation of Boston by the 
British took place March 17, 1776, when theywere discharged. Thus 
New Hampshire had in the field at Winter hill in December, 1775, 
nearly 5,000 men. These were in addition to those operating with 
the army of the north in the operations against Canada, and those 
who were armed for home defense in different sections of the province. 
It is much to be doubted if, during the eleven months covered by the 
siege of Boston, any colony or province of the thirteen had, in propor- 
tion to its population, so many men actively engaged in military opera- 
tions against the British crown. 

The siege of Boston was the first great success of the War for Inde- 
pendence. Its success made the Declaration of Independence possible. 
It was commemorated by the authorization of the gold medal pre- 
sented to Washington . It gave the patriot cause just grounds for hope, 
courage, and enthusiasm. This great success was won by the troops 
of four colonies, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and 
Connecticut, if, indeed, Connecticut, in view of her desertion at the 
critical moment, deserves the honor of being connected with the other 
three colonies. Rhode Island was loyal and true, but her contribution 
to the patriot force was numerically small. Massachusetts performed 
her part nobly, so nobly that there has sometimes been a disposition 
on the part of Massachusetts historians to claim for that common- 
wealth almost the entire glory of the successful termination of the 
siege. 

This much must not, however, be forgotten. There were two great 
crises in the siege, which, had they not been promptly met, would 
have made failure on the part of the Americans probable, if not 
indeed inevitable. 

The first was on the night of the battle of Bunker hill. The com- 
mands of Stark and Reed were destitute of powder, but they obtained 



25 

picks and shovels, and by the morning of the 18th had so fortified 
Winter hill, commanding the approaches to Charlestown Neck, and 
Bunker hill itself, that the siege of Boston was recommenced in a 
deadly earnestness which could not be misunderstood. New Hamp- 
shire troops selected the most strategic point for offensive and defensive 
operations to the north of Boston on the evening of a retreat, and 
New Hampshire troops held it until, on the seventeenth of March, 
nine months later, the British forces, defeated and humiliated, sailed 
out of Boston harbor. 

The second came in December, 1775, when Washington's lines were 
so weakened by the desertion of the Connecticut troops that a success- 
ful attack might have been made upon them had not New Hampshire 
men, with rare devotion, taken the place of unpatriotic and base 
deserters of a cause which should have been as dear to Connecticut as 
to New Hampshire, and by such devotion so strengthened the army of 
Washington as to give him assurance of certain success. The history 
of the siege of Boston cannot be regarded as adequate or complete 
without due recognition of the splendid service of New Hampshire 
men under the leadership of such men as Sullivan, Stark, Poor, and 
Reed. 



"->nA\n r uf- 



CONGRESS 




011 712 246 3 



V 




\ 



